Discusses various aspects of a summer intensive Spanish course, including its evolution, materials used, and how it differs from regular courses. Advantages and disadvantages of the course are given from both the students' and teachers' point of view. (EKN)

The use of teacher-made captions or subtitles to accompany slide and film presentations in foreign language classes is discussed. (JB)

Describes the philosophical bases of confluent education, and provides examples of this method in language instruction. (AM)

Explains a classroom presentation of verb forms and tense functions based on the communicative needs of the students rather than on the full paradigm of each verb tense. Arguments for the use of this natural approach and an association model to facilitate vocabulary acquisition are presented. (PMJ)

Presents techniques from Writing Across the Curriculum adapted to the foreign language classroom. Strategies for encouraging students to write more effectively in the foreign language are described. The strategies include assigning relevant topics, treating writing as a process, and responding to and evaluating student writing in a more…

In lieu of language lab attendance, second-year language students had the option of attending a drama lab. This program has met with great success. The objective of the lab is to improve skills in pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns. Also, an environment is created in which the student feels at home with the target language. (PJM)

Discusses the usefulness of the speech expander and the speech compressor in second language instruction, particularly as concerns the development of listening comprehension skills. (AM)

Describes how foreign stamps can be collected, catalogued, photographed, and arranged in thematic areas in order to be incorporated into a language curriculum or culture cluster. (Author/AM)

Presents useful ideas for activities that get students involved, upon arrival abroad, in using their foreign language and in relating to their new cultural environment. A "linguistic scavenger hunt" in Paris, France, helps students gain the confidence they need to maximally benefit from their experience abroad. (Author/DJD)

An approach is presented for providing students with communication practice by relating course material to the common purposes of language use. A system for classifying communication activities is outlined in order to insure realistic, varied practice. Examples are provided in Spanish. (SW)

Discusses the status of teaching culture in the Arabic language curriculum. Ten cultural learning objectives for students of Arabic are presented, and examples of how culture capsules and culture assimilators can be used in class are included in Appendices. Three difficulties in teaching Arabic culture are described. (Author/LMO)

The nature of grammar instruction is examined, and traditional instruction as explanation plus "output" practice is questioned. It is suggested that an input-oriented approach would be more effective. A type of input-based instruction called "processing instruction" is outlined. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/LB)

Presents a method which draws upon students' imagination, creativity, and associative abilities and engages them in the language learning process. (Author/AM)

Foreign Language Exploration Competition Day consists of competitive activities for junior high school students of French, German, and Spanish. Students choose from a list of 17 contests and 7 prepared displays requiring students to use language skills learned in the classroom. Awards include ribbons, certificates, and a trophy. (MSE)

Special features and advantages of foreign language mini-courses and suggestions for establishing a workable system are discussed. One advantage of the system is the minimizing of schedule conflicts. (SW)